A misogi purification festival passed down in Samukawa, where the sea meets the mikoshi
Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri
The 2026 edition of Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/20Ended
- Season / frequency
- Usually, in the evening on August 20 / Every year
- Area
- Chiba Prefecture・Chiba City(From Tokyo: approx. 40 min–1 h · train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Viewing is free. No participation fee was listed.
- Age restrictions
- The Children’s Ohamaguri is for elementary school students. Preschool children may take part in the hand-pulling.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri is a traditional event in which a is carried into the sea and makes three trips between the beach and the water for purification. Designated a local cultural property of Chiba City, it continues to convey the bond between the people of Samukawa and the sea.
About Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri
A held during the annual festival at Samukawa Shrine, in which a mikoshi enters the sea.
It is recorded in accounts of medieval festivals, and in the past, the people of Chiba Town and Samukawa Village joined together to pull out boat-shaped .
Against the backdrop of life in Samukawa, which was closely tied to fishing, the procession into the sea and misogi purification have been passed down through generations.
Today, it is a major local event held on the beach at Chiba Port Park.
Source: 千葉市：寒川神社の御浜下り（市地域文化財）
Festival highlights
The highlight is the scene in which the mikoshi enters the sea, comes up onto the beach, and reenters the water, repeating this sequence three times.
Led by tall lanterns, the mikoshi is placed at a sacred site on the beach and receives a purification ritual before proceeding into the sea with its bearers.
This seaside Shinto ritual brings together a mikoshi procession, misogi purification in the sea, and the powerful movements of local mikoshi bearers.
A misogi purification festival passed down in Samukawa, where the sea meets the mikoshi
What to expect
During the annual festival, the mikoshi travels through the neighborhood and receives a purification ritual at a seaside sacred site before bearers carry it into the sea.
During the procession through the sea, participants move between the beach and the water three times as part of the misogi purification.
The 2026 event also included hand-pulling the mikoshi and dashi, a children’s mikoshi, and an activity in which participants entered the sea carrying tanewata (seed cotton).
Source: 【令和８年度】 2026年7月20日(月･祝) ～ みんなでつなぐ御浜下り ～ - 千葉市海まつり協議会
How to take part
In 2026, anyone could join in hand-pulling the mikoshi and dashi. Children and older participants were also offered the option of entering the sea carrying tanewata (seed cotton).
Elementary school students can take part in the children’s mikoshi and enter the sea up to their knees with a parent or guardian.
Adults carrying the mikoshi must wear designated attire, such as a white bearing Samukawa Shrine’s crest.
In 2026, hand-pulling was open to participants in any clothing, and they could join at any point along the designated route.
For the Children’s Ohamaguri, participants gather at the venue and are divided into groups by height. Children carrying the children’s mikoshi must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Adults carrying the mikoshi should wear a white happi bearing Samukawa Shrine’s crest and white festival attire.
Location and access
- Address
Around Chiba Port Park, Chuo Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
Address Around Chiba Port Park, Chuo Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
In 2026, Ohamaguri was held on July 20 (Monday, a public holiday), with the event schedule listed as running from 6:35 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
The procession was scheduled to arrive at Chiba Port Park at 6:35 p.m., with Ohamaguri planned for around 7 p.m.
Since this differs from the usual time of year, the 2026 event took place on a special date.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Chiba Prefecture / Chiba City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Participants entering the sea should wear clothes they don’t mind getting wet. For the children’s mikoshi, participants take off their shoes and go barefoot or wear socks.
Sandals are recommended for after coming out of the sea and washing your feet.
Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated, and make sure children are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Nearby attractions
ホキ美術館
千葉市緑区にある美術館
加曽利貝塚
千葉市若葉区にある貝塚
千葉ポートタワー
千葉港にあるタワー
千葉市動物公園
千葉市若葉区の動物園
千葉県立中央博物館
千葉市中央区にある博物館
千葉県立美術館
千葉市中央区にある美術館
千葉神社
千葉市中央区にある神社
Origins and History of Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri
The origins of Ohamaguri are said to date back to the medieval period, and it is recorded in works including the Chiba Myoken Daiengi Emaki and the Sengakushu Bassui.
During the Edo period, boat-shaped dashi were used, and was performed atop large boats.
The event was temporarily suspended due to coastal reclamation. After a boat procession at Chiba Port, it was revived in Heisei 12, led by the Samukawa Parishioners’ Youth Association.
Official information
Samukawa Shrine is the ujigami, or local guardian shrine, of the former Samukawa district in Chuo Ward, Chiba City.
Ohamaguri is described as an important ritual of Samukawa Shrine’s annual festival. The shrine’s official website provides information on attire for participants who carry the mikoshi into the sea, as well as event schedules for each year.
An overview of the cultural property is also available from Chiba City’s local cultural property information.
Source: 寒川神社
Samukawa Shrine’s Ohamaguri at a Glance
The Ohamaguri at Samukawa Shrine is a Shinto ritual tied to Samukawa’s fishing culture, in which a mikoshi is carried into the sea for misogi purification.
It has traditions dating back to the medieval period and has been passed down locally through periods of interruption and revival.
In 2026, participation options were expanded to include hand-pulled mikoshi and dashi, as well as the Children’s Ohamaguri.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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